LITERARY PUBS: YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE, LONDON

There are a number of pubs in London with Charles Dickens associations, but the one all Dickens fans should visit is Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese at 145 Fleet Street.  Not only did Dickens frequent this quaint and atompheric boozer during his time working in the city, but it had a role to play in one of his classics, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, set before and after the French Revolution.  There is a scene in the novel in which two of the main characters, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, head to a tavern to dine.  Although the tavern is not named, its location on Fleet Street and access ‘up a covered way’ have led to universal acceptance that Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is the inn in question.  The fare on offer is described as “a good plain dinner and good wine”.  I can back this up, based on a visit some years ago, when as far as I can recall I had a perfectly nice Ploughmans at a surprisingly reasonable price for London. 

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Holborn, London. Photo by Adam Bruderer, via Wikimedia Commons.

Charles Dickens is not the only well-known literary figure to have frequented Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.  Others include G. K. Chesterton, Mark Twain, Samuel Johnson, W. B. Yeats and Arthur Conan Doyle.  In 1927 another eminent writer, P. G. Wodehouse, told a friend that he had looked in at the Garrick (presumably either the theatre or the Garrick Arms) at lunchtime, “took one glance of loathing at the mob, and went off to lunch by myself at the Cheshire Cheese”.   

Cheshire Cheese Basement (15815848118). Photo by It's No Game, via Wikimedia Commons.

The original tavern was opened in 1538 on a site which formed part of a 13^th century Carmelite monastery.  Like many of the capital’s inns of the time, it was destroyed by fire during the Great Fire of London in 1666, but was rebuilt the following year.  The authentic atmosphere inside the pub is enhanced by the sawdust on the floor, which is changed twice daily.  As well as the decent pub food, the bar dispenses beers and other drinks bearing the Samuel Smith label.

Map of the area.

LOCATIONS FIT FOR A QUEEN-TO-BE: THE CROWN/SOMERLEY HOUSE, HAMPSHIRE AND YORK MINSTER

 

The long-awaited resumption of The Crown on Netflix is upon us, and the reaction to the latest instalments has been fairly negative for various reasons.  However, I am still enjoying it for the standard of the production, not least some of the sumptuous locations featured in the series.  Camilla is starting to come to the fore now, and there are two key events with her at centre stage: the 50^th birthday party at Highgrove and the wedding of Charles and Camilla, which in real life took place in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

For the birthday party scenes, Somerley House in Hampshire stands in for Highgrove, continuing on from earlier appearances in the series.  The festivities themselves take place in a large outdoor marquee, but there are lovely views of the exterior of the property.  Later in the series, when Charles and Camilla finally tie the knot, York Minster is used for the wedding scenes at St George’s Chapel, which could not be used for the filming.  The Minster was closed for five days in April this year, and crowds gathered outside hoping to spot some of the stars, although nobody knew at the time what event was being filmed.

Somerley-House. Photo by Somerley Ent., via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Somerley House is a short distance to the northwest of Ringwood on the western edge of the New Forest National Park.  The house, located in an elevated position with lovely views of the surrounding parkland, is a Grade II listed Georgian building, though the original property, home to the Okden family, dated from 1653.  The house was destroyed by fire and a new one was built in its place.  The house and estate are not open to the public but hosts weddings, corporate events and festivals.

York Minster - geograph.org.uk - 2407484. Photo by Michael Fox, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

York Minster was founded in 627 and today operates as an Anglican cathedral.  Like Somerley, it fell victim to a fire, much more recently in 1984, with the South Transept suffering the bulk of the damage.  However, the damaged was repaired and restoration work carried out at a cost of £2.25 million.  The cathedral is open to visitors at a charge of £16.00 for adults, but is well worth the money.  It is one of numerous attractions in the city of York, along with the Jorvik Viking Centre, York Castle Museum and many other points of interest.  Aside from these, there are boat trips along the River Ouse and York is famous for its evening ghost tours.

Map of Somerley Estate and surrounding area.

Map of York.

A LADY ADRIFT IN LINCOLNSHIRE: KATHERINE BY ANYA SETON

 Katherine by the late American author Anya Seton tells the true story of a young woman born in France as Katherine de Roet whose gradual ascent up the ranks of society leads to her marriage to John of Gaunt, by which she becomes the Duchess of Lancaster.  The first half of the book covers her first reluctant marriage to the knight Sir Hugh Swynford, who has a manor in Lincolnshire.  Swynford takes Katherine off to live at the manor, which is in the tiny hamlet of Kettlethorpe, to the north-west of Lincoln.  Katherine struggles to come to terms with her new life in these rather austere surroundings, but while Sir Hugh is away fighting, her depressing existence is briefly alleviated when she is invited to spend Christmas at Bolingbroke Castle at the invitation of Blanche of Lancaster (John of Gaunt’s first wife) , for whom she develops a deep affection.  Unfortunately, things at Bolingbroke later take a tragic turn for the worse when the black death reaches the area.

Bolingbroke village and castle site, aerial 2014 - geograph.org.uk - 4058087. Photo by Chris, via Wikimedia Commons.

There is a none too flattering description of Kettlethorpe in the early part of the book, describing its geographical location and the fact that it owed feudal dues to the Bishop of Lincoln.  It is described as not very productive, with the soil only suitable for “the growth of hay, flax and hemp and such-like” and “most of the land being in virgin forest for the pleasure of its lords.”  By contrast, Bolingbroke is described as “a small fair castle set in meadowlands and encircled by the protecting wolds”, with “a gay and welcoming look”.  In Chapter XII Katherine rides into Lincoln with her faithful servant Hawise, who declares “Folk here must be goats!” – this undoubtedly being a reference to the aptly named Steep Hill, which leads to the upper part of the city.  The bustle of the city occasioned by the fact that it is market day meets with Hawise’s approval, and she describes it as “a deal better than those dreary fens”. 

Lincoln Steep Hill Cropped. Photo by Russell J Smith, via Wikimedia Commons.

A glance at the present-day Kettlethorpe on the map reveals that there is precious little there other than the Church of St Peter and St Paul and the Village Hall.  Kettlethorpe Hall is a Georgian property, but it stands on the site of the Swynford manor.  There is little left of Boliingbroke Castle, which is now managed by English Heritage and lies about 15 miles inland from Skegness, but the original outline can be clearly seen from the shape of the remaining foundations, and there is still water in the surrounding moat, a fact which English Heritage is at pains to warn visitors.  Entry to the castle is free.  Lincoln is one of England’s classic cathedral cities.  The cathedral and the nearby castle are both in the upper part of the city, making for an impressive sight from afar.  The city is known for its Christmas market.  Down below, boat trips are available on the city’s Roman canal, the Fossdyke.

Gateway at Kettlethorpe Hall - geograph.org.uk - 2577084. Photo by Jonathan Thacker, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of Lincolnshire.

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

 A story about a curse on a family involving a giant man-killing hound seems a perfect subject for a Halloween special.  The story is by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes.  The family in question are the Baskervilles, and the curse dates from the days of the English Civil War, when Sir Hugo Baskerville kidnapped a farmer’s daughter.  Sir Hugo is killed by a spectral hound, a fate which befalls a number of subsequent Baskervilles. 

The story has been turned into film a number of times over the years, firstly in 1939, which was mostly studio-based, then in 1959, in a film starring horror stalwarts Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, with filming taking place in Surrey, at Frensham Ponds and Chobham Common.  More recently, a TV movie in 1988 starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes, was filmed in a number of locations in the Midlands and North (although the original story was based in Dartmoor).

In the 1988 film, The Heath House in Tean, Staffordshire doubled as Baskerville Hall, while Mobberley Old Hall near Knutsford, Cheshire, provided some of the interior shots.  Croxteth Hall on Merseyside leant one of its rooms to be used as a hotel room.  The hotel in the film was called The Northumberland Hotel.  The railway scenes were filmed at Pickering railway station, one of the terminii of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.  Just outside Harrogate lie Brimham Rocks.  This is the area used as the moors around Baskerville Hall, where Watson shoots the hound. 

The Heath House-geograph-4049368. Photo by Dennis Thorley, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

The Heath House is a Gothic Revival building, which in 2021 was featured in Country Life magazine, being up for sale for 6 and a quarter million pounds.  The estate was described as a ‘farm’, but the magazine commented that it was more Downton Abbey than dirty wellies.  Tean lies just off the A50, to the south-east of Cheadle.  Mobberley Old Hall dates from the 17^th century, and lies in the village of Mobberley in Cheshire, a short distance from Knutsford.  Croxteth Hall is just outside Liverpool and offers a function room and parkland open to visitors.  It was formerly the ancestral home of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton.  Pickering railway station is the terminus of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a magnificent line which wends its way down to the coast at Whitby.  Brimham Rocks, run by the National Trust, is a beauty spot to the north-west of Harrogate and south-west of Ripon featuring dramatic rock formations.

Brimham Rocks turtle and eagle. Photo by Geertivp, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is currently available to view on ITVX.

LITERARY PUBS: THE OXFORD BAR, EDINBURGH

The Scottish writer Ian Rankin is best known for his detective novels featuring Inspector John Rebus.  The series of novels, numbering 22 in all and which spawned a television series starring Ken Stott as Rebus, is set in Edinburgh.  The favourite watering hole of Rebus is the Oxford Bar, apparently chosen by Rankin because a lot of police drink there.  The bar is also a favourite of Rankin himself, who can often be found there enjoying a pint of Deuchars IPA.  Sean Connery has also visited, as has another detective novel supremo Colin Dexter, author of the Inspector Morse books.

The Oxford Bar can be found in Young Street, which is in the part of the city known as the New Town, something of a misnomer since the architecture is largely Georgian, and construction started in 1767.  The bar, which is a short walk north from Princes Street, has received many favourable reviews from visiting fans, being described as no frills, with prices to match.  The many pictures on the wall include photographs of Rankin and of Stott.

The Oxford Bar, Young Street - geograph.org.uk - 3150895. Photo by kim traynor, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of Edinburgh New Town.

SOMETHING FISHY: MORTIMER AND WHITEHOUSE IN DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY

 

National treasures Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse are achingly funny guys in their own right.  Put them together on a fishing trip and sit back and listen to the banter, and they become positively hilarious, especially when joined by the funny-looking but endearing Ted the Dog.  The duo are currently on season 6 of their popular Gone Fishing series on BBC.  Each episode features a river in a gorgeous part of the country, and a variety of fabulous accommodation offerings.  Episode 2 of series 6 features two striking properties in Dumfries and Galloway, where the pair head in search  of pike, this time without Ted in tow.

Their first overnight stay, following a fishing session in a secluded pike lake in which they fail to find any pike, is in a haunted castle, Spedlins Castle (aka Spedlins Tower).  The castle, a typical Scottish tower house dating from 1450, overlooks the River Annan, north-east of Dumfries and just off the A74(M).   The castle is available as holiday accommodation and sleeps 14, so heaven only knows how much it would have cost Bob and Paul for a 1-night stay.  As for the ghost, the story goes that a local miller called James Porteous, nickname ‘Dunty’, was left locked in the dungeon with no food or water when the castle’s 17^th-century owner Alexander Jardine had to leave for Edinburgh.  The Jardine family were so traumatised by the antics of Dunty’s ghost that they moved away from the castle to escape him.

Spedlins Tower 2011. Photo by Beshoffs, via Wikimedia Commons.

 The second property featured in the episode is Kinmount House, where Bob and Paul head to for their second day’s fishing.  This 19^th century country house 3 ½ miles west of Annan was designed by Sir Robert Smirke for the 6^th Marquess of Queensberry on land which was granted to the Carlyle family in the 13^th century.  Its extensive grounds include the lake used by Bob and Paul for their fishing, where they finally catch their elusive pike.  Kinmount House is today used as a luxury wedding venue.

Kinmount House. Photo by Barry Dale, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of Spedlins Castle and surrounding area.

Map of Kinmount House and surrounding area.

 

VIRGINIA SEES THE LIGHT: TO THE LIGHTHOUSE/GODREVY, CORNWALL

 The writer Virginia Woolf was born in London, the daughter of Leslie and Julia Stephens.  Although the family lived in London, during the 1880s and 1890s, for three months of every year, they would decamp to St Ives, staying at Talland House.  Anyone who has been to St Ives will be well aware of the magnificent views along the coastline.  One notable feature on the horizon is Godrevy Lighthouse, just offshore a few miles up the coast from St Ives at the eastern end of St Ives Bay.  The lighthouse was clearly visible from the family’s holiday home, which sat above Porthminster Beach.

Talland House, St Ives, Cornwall - May 2022. Photo by Mutney, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

The lighthouse formed the inspiration for the story Virginia considered her best, ‘To The Lighthouse’, which was actually set on Skye in a location visited by the Ramsay family, for whom the lighthouse was an ever-present draw.  Virginia describes the lighthouse as ‘hoary’ and ‘austere’, and she refers to the ‘green sand dunes with the wild flowing grasses on them’.  This is a good description of the coast surrounding Godrevy Lighthouse, which is dominated by the sand dunes of Gwithian, and which is managed by the National Trust..

Talland House is on Albert Road, above the railway station which forms the terminus of a delightful short branch line from St Erth.  The house is not open to visitors, but there is a  blue plaque commemorating its association with Woolf and her family.

Godrevy Lighthouse has an octagonal tower 26 metres high, designed by architect James Walker and opened on 1^st March 1859.  It was built on Godrevy Island,which lies 300 metres off Godrevy Head.  The lighthouse is well placed for protecting shipping from the hazardous Stones Reef.  The light was deactivated in 2012 and replaced with an LED light mounted on the rocks on a platform, but the lighthouse tower is still retained by Trinity House as a daymark.  There are boat trips out to the lighthouse from St Ives.

Map of St Ives.

Godrevy Lighthouse by Barbara Ashley.

A RAILWAY ROMANCE: BRIEF ENCOUNTER/CARNFORTH

 

Brief Encounter, a 1945 film directed by David Lean about two married strangers who meet by chance on a railway station, is highly evocative of a time when everyone travelling by train seemed to be dressed up to the nines and speak with cut-glass accents.  Just as evocative is the location of much of the film’s action, a train station full of period touches such as those which can be found on heritage railways up and down the land.

The opening scene takes place on a station platform with a steam train rushing past and a vintage round clock with Roman numerals hanging from the platform roof.  We are then shown a sign with a hand pointing to the ‘Refreshment Room’.  This was before the days of Costa and Starbucks, when everyone drank cups of tea served from giant tea urns.  Here we get our first glimpse of the star-crossed lovers of the ‘brief encounter’ in question, Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) and Dr Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard).  Later, the film backtracks to the moment the pair first met, and during this scene a sign comes into view saying ‘Milford Junction’.  This is the name of the station in the film, but in real life it is Carnforth station. 

When watching the film for the first time recently, I heard Laura saying she had popped into Boots for a book, and then there is a scene with her getting her book and moving to another section of the premises where there are toothbrushes and so forth.  I thought I was hearing things, but on doing some research I discovered that up to 1966 Boots the Chemist did indeed have a library service.  The street scenes in the film were shot a long way from Carnforth, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.  According to an online discussion about the location, the Boots of the film is now a Chinese restaurant.  A later scene involving a boating lake was filmed in Regent’s Park.  Another scene in the film whisks us off to the Lake District, where the little bridge seen in the film was filmed at Middle Fell Bridge. Langdale Beck. 

2018 at Carnforth station - the heritage centre. Photo by Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Film enthusiasts will be pleased to know that Carnforth Station has preserved the famous tea room as the Brief Encounter Refreshment Room, looked after by the Carnforth Station Heritage Centre.

Map of Carnforth.

LITERARY PUBS: THE ACORN INN, EVERSHOT, DORSET

Thomas Hardy’s novels featured many fictional towns, villages and cities which often had clearly identifiable real-life equivalents.  One such example was Evershead, which in real life is Evershot.  The Sow and Acorn inn in Evershead, which featured in a number of Hardy's stories, was inspired by the Acorn Inn, a 16^th century Grade II-listed pub in the village which was frequented by Hardy himself.

In Tess Of The D’Urbervilles, there is a scene in which Tess stops for breakfast in the village at a cottage near the Sow and Acorn inn; she avoids the inn itself, not being the pub-going type.  The inn is also mentioned in Interlopers at the Knap, in which Philip Hall collects Sally’s dress from the Sow and Acorn, and in The First Countess of Wessex, with Tupcombe indulging in a spot of eavesdropping from the inglenook.

Evershot, The Acorn Inn - geograph.org.uk - 3107193. Photo by Mr Eugene Birchall, via  Wikimedia Commons.

The present-day inn offers accommodation in rooms named after places and characters from Hardy’s novels.  The interior has changed somewhat since his time, being more open-plan now.  The village of Evershot is located just off the A37 midway between Yeovil and Dorchester, and around 30 minutes’ drive from the Jurassic Coast.  It is the second highest village in the county of Dorset. 

Map of the village.

LOVEJOY'S BIT OF POSH: BELCHAMP HALL, SUFFOLK

 The 1980s/1990s series Lovejoy somehow passed me by at the time, but, having since developed an interest in antiques, I decided to catch up on the series thanks to the wonders of modern streaming technology.  Most of the filming of the series takes place in Essex and Suffolk, with one property in Suffolk making a regular appearance.

The roguish antiques dealer Lovejoy (Ian McShane) keeps varied company, often straying on the wrong side of the law, while his line of work also brings him into contact with the upper echelons of society.  One particularly aristocratic friend of his is Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan), who lives at Felsham Hall.  Although she is married, Lovejoy is an attractive man who has a way with the ladies, and one gets the impression that Lady Jane is a little bit infatuated with him.

The real-life property used as Felsham Hall in the series is Belchamp Hall, a couple of miles west of Sudbury in Suffolk.  Located in the hamlet of Belchamp Walter, the building is a handsome red brick pile of the Queen Anne period, home to the Raymond family since 1611, which forms part of a historic country estate.  Lovejoy fans who are feeling a bit flush can book a variety of accommodation options.  The Hall is also available for corporate functions. 

Belchamp Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1000673. Photo by Keith Evans, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Although the series finished many moons ago, there are still relics of it on view at Belchamp Hall and surrounding area.  Lovejoy’s workshop from the last two seasons remains in the grounds, the Church of St Mary featured in an episode in which Lovejoy was due to get married, and the original ‘Lovejoy Antiques’ sign is also visible.  Lovejoy was a dedicated pub-goer, and the Half Moon Inn in the nearby village of Belchamp St Paul made quite a few appearances in the series. 

'The Half Moon' inn, Belchamp St. Paul, Essex - geograph.org.uk - 225903. Photo by Robert Edwards, via Wikimedia Commons.

Belchamp Hall’s more recent claim to fame is that the grounds of the estate were used in the filming of the ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ film.

The nearby town of Sudbury is a delightful market town on the River Stour near the border with Essex.

Map of the area.

LAUREATE OF THE LAKES: ROBERT SOUTHEY/KESWICK

 There is a painting in Keswick Museum of a rather attractive young man with rosy cheeks and lips, dark curly hair and brown eyes.  The young man in question is Robert Southey, one of a trio of 18^th/19^th century poets associated with the Lake District.   The other two are William Wordsworth and Southey’s brother-in-law Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who we previously met in this blog living in Somerset.  Southey was born in Bristol, but he moved to Keswick in 1803 and died there 40 years later, spending 30 of those years as Poet Laureate. 

Robert Southey (1774-1843), Aged 31 John Opie (1761-1807) Keswick Museum. Via Wikimedia Commons.

During his time in the Lake District, Southey lived at Greta Hall, initially sharing it with the Coleridge family.  Occupying a position near the river in Keswick, Greta Hall was built around 1800.  The Hall was visited by a number of famous literary types including the Wordsworths, Charles Lamb, Shelly and Sir Walter Scott.  The Hall subsequently became a girls’ school and then girls’ boarding house, before becoming a private property when for a time it offered self-catering accommodation.  It was put up for sale in 2021 for £1.2 million and remains in private hands.

 

Greta Hall and Keswick Bridge by William Westall (1781-1850), via Wikimedia Commons.

I have struggled to find any poetry by Southey inspired by the Lake District.  His work covers a wide range of topics including various battles and wars, and the time he spent in Spain and Portugal, as well as the original version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  However, I found a poem by him titled “The Cataract of Lodore” (a Lake District beauty spot better known today as the Lodore Falls).  The poem was written in response to a query by Southey’s son, “How does the water come down at Lodore?”  The resulting poem comes across as an increasingly demented  but highly descriptive account of the descent of the falls, “smoking and frothing”...”striking and raging”...”swelling and sweeping”...”flying and flinging”...”heaving and cleaving”...”quivering and shivering”...”bubbling and troubling and doubling” – you get the picture. 

Lodore Falls 3. Photo by Antiquary, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

For those who want to check out this elaborate description for themselves, the Lodore Falls are near the southern edge of Derwentwater, just inland from the Lodore Falls Hotel and Spa. 

Map of the area.

WINGS OVER THE SOUTH-EAST: BATTLE OF BRITAIN

 As I write this, it’s a Bank Holiday weekend, and predictably for such times there is a classic British war film on the TV: Battle of Britain (1969).  With a cast that reads like a Who’s Who of famous actors of the 60s – Sir Michael Caine, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Christopher Plummer, Kenneth More, Ian McShane, Suzannah York, the list goes on – the film does what it says on the tin, telling the story of the struggle for air superiority over the Germans during the Second World War, culminating in the battle of the title.  Not surprisingly, the filming locations which feature in the film are mostly former RAF air bases – and with a pub thrown in.  There are also aerial shots of the south coast, with the white cliffs putting in an appearance.

First up we have Duxford, a former RAF/RAAF airfield in Cambridgeshire.  Filming took place there in 1968, seven years after it ceased operations as a military airfield.  Construction of the buildings on the airfield started in 1918, carried out by German prisoners-of-war.  During the Second World War the airfield played a crucial role in repelling air attacks by the Germans in the real-life Battle of Britain.  During the filming of Battle of Britain, one of the original World War I hangars was blown up, apparently without the agreement of the Ministry of Defence.  Nowadays Duxford acts as an outpost of the Imperial War Museum, housing The Fighter Collection and the Historic Aircraft Collection.  It is also the location of the American Air Museum.

Duxford, Cambridgeshire - geograph.org.uk - 2603257. Photo by Brendan and Ruth McCartney, via Wikimedia Commons.

Moving across to Essex, we come to RAF Debden near Saffron Walden, opened in 1937, which housed an Operations Block for No. 11 Group during the Battle of Britain, when it came under attack several times.  Peter Townsend, one time beau of Princess Margaret, was commander of 85 Squadron during the Battle, and he wrote a book about it called “Duel of Eagles”.  Also in Essex is RAF North Weald, established in 1916 and an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain.  More recently, the airfield has been used as a base for the Air Ambulance and the National Police Air Service.  Like Duxford, the airfield has its own museum, telling the story of the people who worked there during the two world wars.

Leaving Essex, we head to Kent and RAF Hawkinge, another with its own museum, run by the Kent Battle of Britain Musem Trust.  The base had already been in existence for 20 years when the Battle of Britain began.  Hawkinge’s significance in the Battle lay in the fact that it was the nearest RAF station to occupied France, located just inland from Folkestone, just 6 minutes’ flying time from the French coast.  Another  base which put in an appearance in the film was Bovingdon, a former bomber airfield to the south-west of Hemel Hempstead.

Finally, we come to the pub.  There is a scene in the film involving Squadron Leader Colin Harvey (Christopher Plummer) and his wife Section Officer Maggie (Susannah York), in which they argue about Maggie’s relocating closer to Colin’s posting.  The scene takes place in The Jackdaw Inn in Denton, a few miles north of Folkestone, Kent.  The pub makes the most of its connection to the film with wartime RAF memorabilia and vintage posters such as the one declaring “Don’t Help the Enemy!  Careless Talk May Give Away Vital Secrets”, a poster which can be seen in the background in the film sequence.

Denton, The Jackdaw Inn (geograph 3228308). Photo by Helmut Zozmann, via Wikimedia Commons.

COPPERS OF CALDERDALE: HAPPY VALLEY

 

I was late to the party on this one.  Everyone seemed to be talking about Happy Valley, and I normally have a reaction against what I consider to be overhyped TV series or films.  However, I finally relented and watched the first episode to see what I had been missing, and it turned out to be rather good, so I am ploughing my way through the series via BBC iplayer.  The filming of the series mostly took place around Calderdale, West Yorkshire, most notably Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge and surrounding areas. 

The world of the main character, Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) revolves around her place of work and her home.  The exterior of the police station where she is stationed was filmed at the now closed Halifax Swimming Pool, while the interior shots were filmed at Dean Clough, a mill complex in Halifax.  Meanwhile, Catherine’s home was filmed in Hangingroyd Lane in the riverside and canalside town of Hebden Bridge.  Towards the end of series one Catherine reluctantly agrees to a birthday party.  The party scenes were filmed at Organic House, Market Street in Hebden Bridge.

Hebden Bridge (8714312985). Photo by Tim Green, via Wikimedia Commons.

One of the most notable features of Calderdale is its waterways, chiefly the River Calder and the Rochdale Canal.  The Canal, part of the Calder and Hebble Navigation, was the scene of the explosive ending to series 1 of Happy Valley, in which Catherine's nemesis Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) holes up in a canal boat and tries to kill himself and take his son Ryan, Catherine’s grandson, with him.  The scene was filmed in the section between Sowerby Bridge and Luddenden Foot.  On higher ground, meanwhile, it’s all about the windswept moors, which also put in a regular appearance.  In the last episode of the series, Tommy makes an escape on a cycle, and is seen cycling over Ovenden Moor to Warley Moor Reservoir in Halifax.

Barge on the Rochdale Canal, Sowerby Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1169800.  Photo by Humphrey Bolton, via Wikimedia Commons.

A number of businesses in the area played roles in the filming.  When Catherine first spots Tommy in series 1, he is peering through the window of a takeaway – this is the Happy Eating Chinese Takeaway in Tuel Lane, Sowerby Bridge, in real life (called the Curry House in the series).  The Nisa Local store in Crown Street, Hebden Bridge is where Neil Ackroyd from series 2 and 3 works.  In series 3, Catherine and her sister are seen in heated conversation in the Amico Cafe in Bolton, which lies a bit further to the south-west in Greater Manchester.  The local press has reported Happy Valley fans queuing round the block to visit the cafe after its appearance in the series. The intriguingly named Will o’Nats pub near Blackmoorfoot Reservoir near Meltham, to the south-west of Huddersfield, featured in series 2.

Will o'Nats, Meltham - geograph.org.uk - 493996. Photo by Humphrey Bolton, via Wikimedia Commons.

These are just some of the locations featured in the series.  For more information on the area and the series locations, see the Visit Calderdale website, which also lists the many other productions filmed in the area.  

Map of the area.

A VICTIM OF BEECHING REMEMBERED: ADLESTROP, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

 

1966 was a happening year for Britain.  England won the World Cup, The Beatles topped the charts with We Can Work It Out, and Carnaby Street was leading the way for the fashionistas of the Swinging Sixties.  Unfortunately, it was far from a happening year for the tiny village of Adlestrop in Gloucestershire, which lost its railway station as part of the brutal Beeching Cuts, part of a massive overhaul of the country’s railways.  However, this charming country station has been immortalised in the poem Adlestrop by Edward Thomas, written during a journey undertaken by the poet in June 1914.

If the wording of the poem is anything to go by, underuse of the station was a likely reason for the closure:

 

                                                 No one left and no one came

                                                On the bare platform.  What I saw

                                                Was Adlestrop – only the name

 

The poem goes on to describe the flora and fauna around the station, consisting of willows, willow-herb, grass and meadowsweet, and a singing blackbird, with the poet imagining it being joined by all the birds of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Adlestrop village - geograph.org.uk - 2499726. Photo by Michael Dibb, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Adlestrop lies at the eastern extreme of the Cotswolds, near the border with Oxfordshire.  The famous Daylesford Organic farm shop is just to the south, and Moreton-in-Marsh is a couple of miles north-north-west.  The station was opened in 1853 on what is now called the Cotswold Line (Moreton-in-Marsh is on the same line, and still retains its station) but was originally part of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway.  The parish church of St Mary Magdalene dates from the 13^th century, but was rebuilt around the mid-18^th century. 

The other notable building in the village is Adlestrop Park, a Grade II listed building built by the Leigh family in the 18^th century.  The house was used as a school for a time, but this closed in 1989.  Jane Austen was a regular guest at the Rectory in Adlestrop, and it is believed that Adlestrop Park was the inspiration for Mansfield Park.  The house is now privately owned.

Adlestrop House - geograph.org.uk - 2485976. Photo by Michael Dibb, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of the area. 

DALLIANCES IN DORSET: EMMA (1996)

 

One thing is guaranteed when it comes to film adaptations of Jane Austen novels: that they will be a feast for the eyes.  Not only for the dashing young men with their flowing locks and sexy boots, and the English roses with heaving bosoms vying for their attention, but also for the idyllic English town and country scenes, which invariably include a range of stately homes.  The 1996 film Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow as compulsive matchmaker Emma and Toni Collette as friend Harriet Smith, is no exception, with a variety of charming locations mainly in Dorset.

The first big property to feature in the film is Hartfield, home of Emma Woodhouse and her family, where Emma is seen discussing a wedding with her father.  The location used as the exterior of Hartfield is mostly Came House in the village of Winterbourne Came, Dorset.  However, some of the interior scenes were filmed entirely elsewhere.  The dinner party scene in which Emma introduces Mr Elton (Alan Cumming) to Harriet was filmed at Stratfield Saye House in Hampshire, while Hartfield’s book-lined gallery was filmed in the Long Gallery of Syon House, west London.

Came House (2) - geograph.org.uk - 855736. Photo by Mike Searle, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Another imposing property in Dorset used in the filming of Emma is Crichel House near the village of Moor Crichel, to the north of Wimborne.  In the film the property plays the part of Donwell Abbey, home of a local landowner called George Knightley.  A lake on the estate features in a lakeside archery scene.  Meanwhile, another property, Claydon House in Middle Claydon near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, lends its elaborate North Hall for the filming of the grand dance, in which Harriet is snubbed but subsequently rescued by Knightley.  Another local man made good, Mr Weston, who married Emma’s former governess (played by Greta Scacchi) occupies a grand property called Randalls.  This honey-coloured property in real life is Mapperton, home of the Earl and Duchess of Sandwich, which is located a short distance to the east of Beaminster, Dorset.

Mapperton House - geograph.org.uk - 517671. Photo by Chris Downer, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Aside from the sumptuous residences seen in the film, there are picturesque street scenes depicting the local village Highbury (Surrey), where Mr Elton is the vicar.  The street scenes used in the film were filmed in the Dorset village of Evershot, about 7 miles south of Yeovil.  The Old Manor House in the village is used as the schoolhouse, while the post office building is used for the haberdashery store.  In order to make the street scenes more authentic for the period, the main street, Fore Street,  was festooned with sheep pens and straw for the filming.  The filming is transferred to the neighbouring county of Somerset for the scene in which Emma visits a sick lady, Mrs Clark.  The venue for this scene is the Helyar Almshouses in the village of East Coker about 3 miles south of Yeovil.

Evershot, Tess Cottage and the church - geograph.org.uk - 447131. Photo by Chris Downer, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Came House was built for John Damer in 1754 from a handsome light-coloured stone.  Lying about a mile south-east of Dorchester, nowadays the house is, appropriately enough, used as a wedding venue.  Stratfield Saye House in Hampshire, about 5 miles south of Reading, has been home to the Dukes of Wellington since 1817 and is open for pre-booked tours only.  Syon House, across the River Thames from Kew Gardens, has been used extensively in filming.  Forming part of Syon Park, the house has been the home of the Dukes of Northumberland for over 400 years.  The house and gardens are open to the public, with a mix of guided and self-guided tours of the house.

Crichel House is a Classical Revival country house built for the Napier family.  The property and grounds are not open to the public apart from specific events.  Claydon House is a National Trust property and is open to the public from April.  The North Hall is a riot of rococo in yellow and white.  Mapperton House originates from the 11^th century, but a Tudor manor house was built on the site by Robert Morgan in the 1540s, and rebuilt the following century by Richard Brodrepp.  The property is now the  home of the Earl and Duchess of Sandwich. The Gardens and cafe are open from March, and the house from April.

Evershot is the second highest village in Dorset and the source of the River Frome.  The village featured heavily in Thomas Hardy’s works, most notably Tess of the D’Urbervilles.  East Coker lies over the county border in Somerset, and has a history stretching back to Roman times: a Roman villa was discovered there in the 18^th century.  The Helyar Almshouses were built in the mid-17^th century by the Archdeacon of Barnstaple.  The construction took twenty years due to an enforced interruption brought about by the Great Plague.

 

ATROCITIES IN ABERDEEN: GRANITE HARBOUR

Granite Harbour is a new police series featuring Davis Lindo (Romario Simpson), who arrives in Aberdeen as a trainee recruit to Police Scotland, having transferred from the Royal Military Police.  The first series has received mixed reviews, with one contributor on the IMDB website criticizing the acting.  However, for location spotters the series proves a fine showcase for the city of Aberdeen.

When Lindo first arrives in Aberdeen, he is shown near a striking granite building with an elaborate exterior.  This is the Marischal College in Marischal Square, originally built for the city’s University, but currently being used as the HQ of the Council.  Another notable part of the city which was used in filming is the Castlegate area, known for its Mercat Cross at the head of Union Street.  As its name suggests, Castlegate was named after the gates to the castle, which were destroyed in 1308.  A Salvation Army citadel stands on the site of the original castle.  We are also treated to aerial shots of the city’s waterfront and beaches.

Marischal College A.  Photo by me, via Wikimedia Commons.

No city-based crime series would be complete without the inclusion of a gritty pub, and in Granite Harbour the boozer in the story is The Bodach Stone where Lindo has a number of encounters with the barmaid.  The real-life pub is The Fittie Bar in Wellington Street, a traditional Scottish pub which has received great reviews for its food.

Aberdeen, known as the Granite City for its proliferation of granite buildings, hence the title of the series, is a fascinating mix of the old and the new.  From the late Middle Ages the city was an important political, ecclesiastical and cultural centre, and many of the old buildings in the part of the city known as Old Aberdeen form part of a conservation area.  The modern-day city is dominated by the North Sea Oil industry, and its harbour is also dedicated to fishing and fish-processing, as well as being a departure point for ferries to Shetland and the Orkneys.

Aberdeen-Harbour-Skyline. Photo by JimmyGuano, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of the area.